Food Tasting
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This activity entails having your child taste various types of food while blindfolded and then tell you what the food is. To make the game more interesting, you will have to consider the types of foods your child likes and what he or she dislikes. However, this food tasting allows you to introduce new foods tastes and textures to your child. Include a variety of foods such as bananas, guacamole, tomato sauce, bread, yogurt, jelly, cereal, and rice cakes.
Extracting Frozen Toys From Ice
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For this activity, you will require early preparations like a day or two before. You will need a large plastic box but not too big to fit in your freezer. Fill the plastic box with water to quarter level, immerse some toys and freeze the water. Repeat the procedure so that you have three or more layers of ice block with toys inside. During play, the child’s activity will be to extract the toys from the block of ice using the tools you provide them. Let the children use child-friendly tools like toy hammers, or you can give a spray bottle with warm water.
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Scented Rice
Scented rice is another way to engage your child’s sense of smell. For this activity, you will need a few cups of uncooked rice, socks or a small pouched bag (you can improvise a fabric pouch) and essential oils such as lavender. Prepare by dividing the rice into separate containers. Mix the rice with food color and add a few drops of the essential oils into each cup of rice before mixing. Let your child play with the rice in a tub, or you can put the rice in a sock or pouched clothes so your child can squeeze. You can use different scents for the different cup separations of rice.
Improvised Musical Instruments You can work with your children to make different musical instruments at home. The good thing about the instruments is that making them is as fun as playing them. Making the instruments is also engaging for the children. Think simple instruments such as;
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• For drums, you can use simple sticks or wooden spoons as drumsticks and a tub for the drum. • Make chimes by hanging shells or bottle tops • Make shakers by filling plastic bottles with dried beans, rice or pebbles • You can also thread beads or buttons onto a string and use these as rattles. It all depends on your creativity and the items at your disposal. Remember the aim is to make the instruments together, not buy actual instruments from the supermarket. www.peninsulakids.com.au
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